From Electric Vehicle Newswe learn that 90% of cars could be electric and hybrids by 2030. At least this is what Google thinks. The company’s research arm has concluded that a rapid fall in battery costs and increases in energy density could allow the total cost of ownership of electric vehicles to drop below that of internal combustion vehicles by 2030. By that time EVs could have a 300-mile (480 kilometer) range. The company used optimistic time tables for technology breakthroughs and admits that if these do not develop as quickly, its predictions will not be realized.

the energy collective wants to know if you are willing to pay an additional tax to drive an electric vehicle. As more and more non-petroleum vehicles are on the road, less money will be available to maintain roads and highways. Governments have been long dependent on “the gas tax” to cover these expenditures. Now more and more jurisdictions are considering a new way of taxing alternative vehicles such as EVs. For example US government officials believe that the solution is to charge a per-mile user fee for those vehicles.

House Bill 2453 would charge 1.56 cents per mile, which is equivalent to the amount of gas taxes the average vehicle user will pay. At this rate, if an electric vehicle owner drives 15,000 miles per year, the annual charge would be $234.

A major benefit of electric vehicles is their low cost of operation, but if states begin applying additional taxes, some citizens may feel the purchase is not worth the extra fee. Furthermore, many of these drivers charge their electric vehicles at home and already pay the taxes being charged on their monthly electric bill. Will consumers be willing to pay a tax on their vehicle twice?

plugincars informs us that Renault Zoe is testing a new EV pricing policy in Europe – purchase the car and lease the battery. The all-electric vehicle with 80 miles of range will have a lower up front cost because the battery will be leased. The cost of the battery will depend on the length of the lease and annual mileage but starts at $100 (€77) a month.

Ford launches a FORD2GO car sharing program in Germany reveals Green Car Congress. FORD2GO will be the first automotive manufacturer-backed, nationwide car sharing program incorporating German car dealerships. The program enables Ford dealers in that country to offer cars and sharing services to customers in their area, allowing easy access to shared cars, and offering the chance for potential customers to experience Ford vehicles. Daimler has its car2go program but does not involve its dealers to the extend Ford does. Ford believes growing congestion and environmental concerns will require entirely new automotive business models to address them. Ford’s German network includes 527 Ford dealers, 257 affiliated branches and 1,083 Ford-authorized repair shops—any and all of which would be able to take part in the program.

NACSONLINE says the UK has started phase 2 of its plan to build 8000 charging points for EVs. Currently 2800 are already in operation. Thus far, there are only 3,000 electric cars are used in the country but the government believes consumers are hesitant to buy them until there know that they can easily find places to recharge their batteries along their route.

“After selling fewer than 750 cars in a major initiative in Israel and losing more than $500 million, the company’s experience shows that electric cars are still not ready for primetime….Has Better Place sputtered because of its own mistakes, or are the company’s difficulties a sign of the broader challenges facing electric cars?

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The industry, has yet to provide a clear answer to a simple question about electric cars and companies like Better Place: What, exactly, is the consumer problem that EVs are trying to solve? Are they about saving money in the long run, not having to worry about rising gas prices, reducing the environmental impact of driving, or just enjoying the ride? Put another way, if electric cars are the answer, what’s the question?”